In this page, you will find informations and advices we can give, based on our experience

Petrified Forest National Park / Painted Desert - Arizona

What to do if you have little time : Blue Mesa and Crytal Forest

After 11 trips to the America Southwest, we had never been to Petrified Forest and Painted Desert yet. So we decided to go there in 2017. And now we know why it took us so many trips to decide to go there. These parks do not leave us with an unforgettable memory. Only Blue Mesa Trail and Crytal Forest seemed a little more interesting. Fans of geology may find their account.

Like all national parks, a contribution is requested at the entrance to the park. It is 20$ per vehicle. If you have the "America the beautiful" pass, access is included.

Petrified Forest

Depending on wish

1 to 2 hours

20$/vehicule

Several small hikes are possible in Petrified Forest.

- Pueco Pueblo, loop of 0,3 mile, allows to see ruins and some petroglyphs.

- Blue Mesa, loop of 1 mile : the hike begins on the rim of a canyon and descends steeply in the middle of colorful "badlands" where the mauve dominates.

- Crystal Forest, loop of 0,75 mile : it is the walk to do to see a maximum of petrified wood.

- Giant Logs, loop of 0,4 mile : it is here that there are the largest petrified trunks.

Access : there are 2 possible entrances : one by the north crossing Painted Desert and one by the south where we acces directly to Petrified Forest. For access from the north, take exit 311 on the I40 approximately 26 miles east of Holbrook. For the south entrance, from Holbrook, follow the US180 East for 18,6 miles and turn left on Petrified Forest Road to the park entrance.

Painted Desert

No hike

1 to 2 hours

20$/vehicle

The visit of this park is mainly by car with several stops at different viewpoints. According to us, the most fun is Kachina Point.

Access : the most direct access to Painted Desert is to take exit 311 on the I40 approximately 26 miles east of Holbrook. It can also be reached from the south after crossing Petrified Forest.